Things I Love Thursday- Joovy Ultralight Caboose

I am so excited to share this new thing I just simply LOVE!!!

I got my double stroller- and it is as wonderful as I hoped (and I got a great deal on ebay!).

May I present.....

The Joovy Ultralight Caboose!

What did I want in a double stroller?

• Easy Manueverability- my sister in laws and other friends have these massive double strollers that don't turn, that are beasts to push, and are simply just too huge! I wanted something I could easily and quickly move around clothing racks, that wasn't going to kill my back pushing or loading back up into my car.
• Compact- I know double stroller and compact are two words that don't often combine (especially at an affordable price point). But I wanted something I could fold up and not have it take up my entire back of my pacifica. For what I use a stroller for- I wanted it as streamlined as possible.
• Sit n Stand- My three year old likes to walk around next the shopping cart and out of her stroller now. I couldn't see the point in having a double seated stroller with it so hard to get her in and out of it. I wanted her to have freedom to be able to walk around- but with the ability to sit and rest for the longer trips (or to be able to have a place to keep her in a busy environment!).
• Economical- I didn't want to spend more than $200. I have not purchased much as far as baby gear in the past (thanks to gifts and hand me downs). I know that you get what you pay for a lot of times with strollers. But, we simply cannot afford any more, and didn't want to spend more on a stroller than any other piece of furniture in our house!
• Fun Color- I know its a silly thing. But I thought it would be fun to have a great bright color that would make the stroller stand out among the crowd of black (think having a fun suitcase!).

I did my research. I googled. I ebayed. I read reviews. I read blogs. I fell in love with the joovy ultralight caboose (not to be confused with it's heavier predecessor the joovy caboose). Ultralight was the key word here. At only 21 pounds, and streamlined, this stroller folds smaller and is lighter than my Graco Quattro Tour I received when Izzy was born. I can carry this baby around with one hand! It's also significantly shorter than all the other double strollers. Check out the specs at Joovy's website.

It came in fun colors. I ended up with the "sage" green. Its more of a cross between lime and sage. Its perfect.

My favorite features of the Joovy ultralight caboose are:

• Pushes like a breeze. I had my 5 year old nephew and 3 year old on this at the mall yesterday. I felt as though I were pushing nothing. It was amazing. I think part of it is due to the great sealed ball bearing wheels (think inline rollerblades).
• Its quality. Everything about this stroller feels nice. When I was assembling it- I couldn't help but notice how the frame and fabrics felt 10x better than my graco. It is well made.
• Great cup/snack holders. The parent organizer is this awesome neoprene wrap around the handle bar. Not obtrusive. Holds waterbottles and cups perfectly, has a great zipper pouch for my keys. There is an awesome net organizer on the back of the seat for Izzy's cup and snacks so she can help herself and I don't have to share my cupholders!
• Did I mention this thing only weighs 21 pounds? It is seriously light and compact and still has all the room we need! Great basket underneath. (I know some people complain that their 'big kid' has to get up to get into the basket- but seriously- is it that big of a deal? )
• Amazing sunshade. This will easily shade both of my girls, or completely block out the front passenger in case they fall asleep. Plus, its easily removable when I don't need it, like the mall.

Some things missing that you may or may not miss (to me, these were not deal breakers considering how I use the stroller)

• The front seat does not fully recline back. It does recline- but not flat. I still think that a 9 month old would fall asleep and be ok with a blanket or something.
• The infant car seat attachment does not allow you to just 'click in' the seat. There is a red safety belt that is conceled in little pockets on the side of the stroller that you brace around the top of the car set (much like if you were to buckle the seat in a car without the base). I have not used this aspect of the stroller yet, but I don't see it as a problem.
• Price- I know its not as affordable as the fisher price sit n stand and slightly more than the baby trend- but I am finding it worth every penny. It retails for $239-299 in stores, but I won a brand new on ebay for $190 (there are a couple of stroller depots that sell them each day or week, so there are constantly new ones up for auction).
• Small space for back seat passenger. This stroller does have a smaller area and seat for the back seat big kid than others- helps saves on space. I do not find it to be too small however. My 5 year old nephew fit fine. Yeah, he probably wouldn't be comfortable riding around for 2 hours in it, but it works. If I needed a stroller where I would want my preschooler sitting for long periods of time, I would have gotten a tradition two seat double. This is meant to provide a resting, periodic resting place for the child to sit or stand, not crash out and nap!

Who would I recommend the Joovy Ultralight Caboose to? Really anyone with young infants-preschoolers. This stroller would be great to travel with, as it is so much more compact. I also would use it for everyday use. I would not recommend as an option for someone with "2 under 2". The amount of freedom that the 2 year old would have and the lack of possible comfort for long term rides would make this more difficult if I had a child younger than two in the back. I remember Izzy taking short spurts on her cousin's sit n stand last summer when she just turned 2. She did well with it, but I wouldn't have trusted her for long.

So, I just absolutely LOVE my new toy. I highly recommend the Joovy Ultralight Caboose if you are in the market for a sit n stand. Check out more things we love at The Diaper Diaries' blog roll "Things I Love Thursday".

-if you are interested in 'test driving' the caboose ultralight', the only store in the grand rapids area that sells them (to my knoweldge) is USA Baby. Babies R Us carries them only online. And, obviously, since I purchased this stroller, I'm not being asked or provided anything in return for this review.